Red Thread
by LyriaBlackFrost
Summary: All that Link wanted was to save his best friend, while Ghirahim was willing to do anything to get the girl, and use her to bring his master back. Bonded by that red thread of fate, they were destined to fight each other. Ghirahim/Link - Yaoi
1. Zelda

A/N: Image found on Pixiv - Author id=3449673

Please, while reading, remember that my English is not perfect: I'm still learning, and translating my stories is something new to me.

This is a simple, cliched, GhiraLink story I am slowly writing. I'm not that proud of it, but still, I'm willing to finish it (so I can write better things about this perfect pairing). I know this idea was already used before countless times, but... Well, whatever.

Anyway, hope someone enjoys it.

* * *

Even in his earliest memories, Zelda was there, beside him. To Link, she was much more than a friend: that blonde girl, with blue eyes and strong personality, had already become part of his life. He was used to being awakened in the morning with her calling him a "sleepyhead", forcing an angry expression while trying to hide a discreet smile. He was also used to spending his quiet days beside her, talking about anything, and laughing at silly things. She was his best friend, the person who was closest to him.

It could be easy to confuse this feeling with love, many people had already made that same mistake. Yes, it was true that Link loved her, and that Zelda corresponded such feeling, but such love was more like the one between two siblings: they were extremely close, but without any ulterior motives.

Zelda was the most important thing in his life...

And now, she needed him.

She was there, somewhere on the surface, the same "imaginary" surface of that old legends they told in Skyloft, which his parents searched for so long during his lives. That place was real, and it was there where Link was at that moment, in front of that small tunnel, which would lead him to the deepest part of the forest, where, according to Fi, Zelda was. Without hesitation, he ran, willing to reach that girl as soon as possible.

Not so far from that place, a pale and slender creature watched the boy walk away hastily.

"Foolish child..." he murmured scornfully.

However, despite his words, his expression showed a small hint of interest. With a brief laugh, he snapped his fingers, and immediately disappeared, leaving behind only some shapes that resembled diamonds, which soon dissolved into the silence.


	2. Demon Lord

A/N: Some of Ghirahim's lines in the beginning are from the game, because there's no way I can write this scene without them - they are too fabulous to be changed. However, this won't happen in the next chapters. Also, Link's personality may be a little different from what most people may imagine, but that's how he is in my mind: instead of being naturally a hero, I like to imagine him as a normal boy who, little by little, had to awaken the hero within himself to survive and save someone important to him. In short: he was weak and silly at the beginning of his quest.

About the time I'll take to post new chapters, I'm writing this fic in Portuguese first, and only after that I translate it to English - and both things take time to be done. I'll try to post new chapters as often as I can, but I have other stories I'm working at and - unfortunately - my real life's problems to deal with.

Oh, and also, thanks to FrostStick for the review... It made me blush with happiness! Seriously, it was awesome! I really hope I won't disappoint you!

Well, that's enough talking, hope you enjoy reading the chapter.

* * *

Link rotated repeatedly that peculiar golden key in his hands. If anyone saw him at that moment, would immediately realize that the boy was on the limit of his patience: like it hasn't been enough wasting hours to fill that goddamn place with water, being attacked by that goddamn Skulltulas, falling into the water and nearly drowning, he was still losing more of his precious time with a goddamn key.

"_Why didn't they use a common key?"_ he asked himself, gritting his teeth _"Don't they think it was hard enough to get it?! Why does it also have to be difficult to use it?!"_

Finally, with a low noise, that extremely unusual – and, according to Link, incredibly obnoxious – golden key fitted the small cavity on that grand door, which was adorned with a thick circle of that same color. With care, the blue-eyed boy positioned his hands on that cold surface, but, without the need of using his strength, the door moved, opening up before him. Link couldn't help but sigh in relief, and without even stoping to think, he stepped into that new and unfamiliar place.

And then, the door closed noisily behind him. At the same moment, he looked back, expecting to see someone there... But, to his surprise, there was no one.

"_I'm starting to get too paranoid..."_ - he thought, taking a deep breath.

Link looked around, at that place where he was, and the first thing he noticed was the golden door on the other side of that big circular room. Instinctively, he ran toward it. According to Fi, that was the only place where Zelda could be, close enough to be reached in an instant. Soon, it all would come to an end... He would take Zelda back to Skyloft, where she would be safe once again, and all that time they had spent on the surface, this place he had been hating for so long, would be nothing but a distant dream.

Soon, everything would be fine, as it had always been... Or, at least, that was what he tirelessly repeated to himself. He didn't want to remember what Fi had said about the "great destiny" of which both he and Zelda were part. He just wanted to get it over with and go back to Skyloft with his friend.

He was just a few steps away from that golden door, when suddenly a blinding light made him stop abruptly and cover his eyes.

And, even without being able to see, he knew he was no longer alone in that room.

A slender figure stood with his back turned to Link, between him and the door that would lead him to Zelda. The red cape fluttered subtly, as if it was exposed to a light breeze, and not in a closed room. Long thin fingers, protected by a white glove, wrapped the handle of a sharp black sword, and by the looks of the small uncovered part of his arm, his skin was unnaturally pale and slightly grayish. Link had to restrain his instinctive desire to step back: that person surely didn't look like an unexpected ally.

"Look who it is..." said the stranger, and with a brief movement of his wrist, that black sword vanished in the air. His voice, despite being silky, was intimidating, and made Link shiver slightly "I thought that tornado I stirred up would have tossed and torn you apart..."

The boy's eyes widened when he heard those words: that man was the responsible for everything that had happened? For some reason, Link had no doubt that man spoke the truth. How could a person control a tornado? He didn't know, but for some incomprehensible reason, that man had succeeded on doing such thing. An inevitable curiosity joined the fear and the anger he was feeling: who was... Or rather, what was that guy?

Only then, that mysterious person turned to the boy. His face had that same pale grayish tone of the rest of his body, except for his lips, which were of the same pure white of his smooth and silky hair, which long bangs covered the left side of his face. His eyes were of a beautiful dark brown, almost black, and stood out even more thanks to the purple marks under them. Noticing the apparent interest of the younger boy, he gave a small smile of satisfaction.

"Yet here you are. Not in pieces." he proceeded, giving a brief and discreet giggle "Not that your life or death has any consequence..."

"Where is Zelda?" Link interrupted. He wasn't interested in those arrogant words, and didn't have time to waste arguing with that strange person how much his life was or wasn't of importance: all he had in his mind was the fact that he needed to find Zelda, and that incredibly suspect guy was in his way.

The pale man glared at him with those dark eyes, and unexpectedly, his angry expression – as if he wasn't used on being interrupted like that – gave way to a crooked smile.

"What bad manners, sky child..." He said, in that cynically sweet tone "Don't you think it would be more polite to introduce yourself first, and ask questions later?"

Link narrowed his eyes, an unusual feeling of irritation beginning to flow through his body. He no longer cared about how strong that man was, he just wanted to kick him out of the way and move on. But, of course he didn't do it: that person was able to summon tornadoes, so he could also break his neck easily, and then, he would be dead and Zelda would be left alone on the surface. No, bad idea.

"Then, I'll ask you the same thing." replied the blue-eyed boy "Since manners are so important to you, why don't you introduce yourself before proceeding with this monologue of yours?"

Instead of anger, those dark eyes reflected a slight amusement, as if he was impressed with that defiant attitude. Link wanted him to stop looking at him like that, it only made him feel like a small child, inexperienced and helpless, about to be devoured by a monster that was much bigger and stronger... as ridiculous as that thought might be. He was afraid, really afraid, enough to make his hand tremble as he tried to sound confident.

But instead of attacking him, as Link had expected, the man just gave his back to him once more.

"You're right, where are my manners?" with a subtle movement of his neck, he pushed his hair away from his face "I am the Demon Lord who presides over this world you call the surface. You may call me Ghirahim." a brief chuckle of pride left his throat before he continued "In truth, I very much prefer to be indulged with my full title: Lord Ghirahim. But I'm not fussy."

With each passing second, more Link hated that person and the surface itself. Angry, he raised his hand to his sword, unsheathing and pointing it to the Demon Lord. The boy didn't intend to attack him from behind, but also didn't want to be caught off guard by a possible assault.

"Did you really just draw your sword?" Ghirahim asked in a tone of pure contempt "Foolish boy."

Once again, he turned to face Link, staring at him from top to bottom. That look made the boy shudder, as if the demon was examining every inch of him, even the most deep and secret part of his soul. Suddenly, he remembered the old stories they told in Skyloft, about demons deceiving humans to devour their souls: Ghirahim was a demon, and he seemed to be quite capable of devouring his soul if he lowered his guard.

However, the thoughts of the Demon Lord were others. As he had noticed before, that boy was attractive: smooth white skin, dark blond hair, blue eyes just like the morning sky, and, in addition to that, his body and stature were adorably small, just like a pet should be, according to the demon. He could just hurry up and cut his throat, spilling his scarlet blood on the floor of that temple, and then, smoothly capture the girl for his master. But Ghirahim didn't think too much about doing something like that: it would be a waste to kill him so quickly.

"Also, you haven't told me your name yet." he continued "Don't you think this is the least you should do after I went into all the trouble of introducing myself?"

Link squeezed the Skyward Sword in his right hand: he was wasting time. With that silence, Ghirahim just crossed his arms, still observing the other, who realized that the demon could keep up with that little game of his for hours if he didn't give in.

"Link." he said, in a low and dry tone.

Ghirahim showed that indecipherable smile again, and Link almost regretted having done what he wanted, even if it was something as banal as saying his name. But that wasn't the moment to act proud, and he knew it.

"You asked me about the girl, earlier..." said the demon, finally "By all rights, she should have fallen into our hands already." Ghirahim's expression hardened, and he lowered his head, looking down at his own hands, twisting his fingers, pressing them against his palms "She was already ours when that loathsome servant of the goddess snatched her away..."

Hearing that, Link felt a little relieved: apparently, Zelda was not alone. However, such relief wouldn't last long.

"Do you have any idea how that made me feel inside?" Ghirahim proceeded, and his voice, now dark and cold, caused Link to shiver "Furious!" he yelled "Outraged! Sick with anger!"

And then, in front of the boy's eyes, the Demon Lord disappeared into shapes that resembled diamonds. That took Link by surprise, and instinctively he looked around, trying to find Ghirahim.

"This turn of events has left me with a strong appetite for bloodshed."

The white-haired man's voice echoed through the room, but it was impossible to tell where it came from. When a low laugh was heard dangerously close, it was too late to act: Ghirahim had grabbed Link's left arm, now holding it firmly against the boy's back. Then, the one with dark eyes clenched the his right wrist, twisting it until Link let his sword fall on the ground with a metallic noise. Link looked to the side, his eyes widened, and there he saw Ghirahim's face, just a few inches away from his.

"Still... it hardly seems fair, being on my position, to take all of my anger out on you." whispered the demon, close to his ear "Which is why I promise up front not to murder you..."

As much as he said it, that tone made it clear that Link couldn't trust those words. He tried to get away from Ghirahim, however, without any effort, the older one twisted his left arm, just enough to cause him pain and keep him obediently in place.

"No," proceeded the Demon Lord "I'll just beat you within an inch of your life!"

Suddenly, Link felt something warm and wet slide from the side of his cheek to his ear, and his surprise only increased when he realized that that was Ghirahim's tongue. In a mixture of disgust, anger and despair, he tried once again to pull away from the demon, who, just as before, stopped him.

"Let go of me." Link growled through gritted teeth.

"Why should I?" asked Ghirahim, with a mischievous grin "Are you scared, sky child?"

Without waiting for any response, Ghirahim advanced against the other's neck, sliding his tongue all over that area, and then, painfully sank his teeth there. Link couldn't suppress a moan of both surprise and pain. The demon licked that spot, tasting the small amount of blood that sprouted from that recent wound.

"My blood..."

The thought of that left Link somewhat dazed: he closed his eyes, trying to ignore the pain and fear it brought, bitting his lower lip in an attempt to contain another groan filled with agony. As if that situation pleased him, Ghirahim smiled against the boy's neck.

"You reactions are very innocent..." he remarked, in an amused tone "I assume you're still a virgin?"

This time, he had gone too far. Link stared fiercily at the demon, and abruptly tried to pull away for the third time. To his surprise, Ghirahim loosened his hands, allowing him to escape. Without expecting to be released like that, Link stumbled, but soon managed to regain his balance. He quickly moved away from Ghirahim, until almost touching the door through which he had entered, but instead of trying to open it, the blond boy looked back at the Demon Lord.

"Won't you seize your chance and escape, sky child?" asked the white-haired demon "Despite being unarmed and aware of the difference between our strengths?

"I won't run." replied Link, clenching his fists. He didn't care about what could happen to him, he just couldn't let that... That freak, reach Zelda "And also, I don't intend to lose."

Ghirahim rolled his eyes briefly.

"Don't want to lose? And from where did all this confidence come from?" asked the demon, with that crooked smile "You have no choice but to surrender or suffer a slow and painful death."

"I won't let you harm her." grunted the blue-eyed one, trying to think fast and find a way to get his sword back.

"Oh, how lovely..." said the taller one, in his sarcastic tone "You amuse me, sky child... It's a pity I don't have time to play with you."

Saying this, he snapped his fingers, and his red cape dissolved into diamond shapes. He summoned two red daggers, and without giving Link enough time to think and act, the lord threw those small weapons against the boy with just a gesture.

Link managed to avoid those daggers with a quick movement of his body, and immediately grabbed the wooden shield he was carrying on his back, putting it in front of his body, ready to defend against more attacks like that, and wishing internally that such shield was tougher than it looked.

Now, he just needed to get to his sword if he wanted to have any chance of winning.

Luckly for Link, Ghirahim didn't bother to pick the Skyward Sword from the ground, or even to kick it away. The demon approached slowly, and Link, with his back against the wall, began to slowly walk around the room.

Ghirahim launched two more daggers toward the younger one, but this time, Link avoided the first one, and deflected the second with his shield. With the impact, the red blade flew against its owner, but Ghirahim made it disappear in the air with a new gesture. Link took those few seconds to act: he ran to the Skyward Sword, rolling on the floor, grabbing it, getting back on his feet soon after. Ghirahim watched him in silence, and didn't seem to be surprised with the situation, as if he knew Link would make something like that from the beginning.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked, once again approaching at a slow pace.

Without wasting time, Link advanced against Ghirahim, and tried to strike him on the side of his body. When Ghirahim dodged, the blonde immediately attacked him on the other side, hitting him in the region under his ribs. Link was sure that blow would at least hurt the demon enough to make him drop that arrogant attitude of his, but... There was no wound, nor blood. The wound had been healed almost instantly by those strange diamond shapes, and soon, there wasn't any trace of that blow.

"What... are you...?!" stunned, Link let that question escape from his lips.

In response, Ghirahim chuckled. Angry and desperate at the same time, Link tried to attack from above.

And he didn't want to believe what he saw, but Ghirahim had held the blade of his sword between his fingers.

"I'm disappointed, sky child..." he sighted "I thought that, to challenge me like that, you would at least prove yourself a little more worthy as an opponent."

With a swift movement, he pulled the sword from the boy's hand, holding it against his throat. Link took a step back, while cursing himself for letting something like that happen.

"You don't look so confident now..." said Ghirahim with a cocky smirk "What's the matter?"

Link didn't answer to that question, staring silently at the taller one with the most deadly expression he could. At any second, Ghirahim would cut his head off with his own sword, and then he would find Zelda, and... And he didn't even want to think about what could happen next...

But even so, the boy wouldn't let the other know how scared he was.

"Do you think you can fool me?" the demon chuckled "I know you're scared."

"Scared of you? Don't be ridiculous..."

That answer seemed only to increase Ghirahim's satisfaction.

"Well, well... It seems we have a stubborn little child here." he said, touching Link's throat with the cold blade of the sword "Didn't you realize the situation you're in yet?"

"I'm not afraid to die."

That wasn't the truth, and Ghirahim surely didn't even come close to believing it. But, to Link, anything was better than to give in and pathetically beg for his life.

However, instead of killing him, Ghirahim pulled the sword from his throat, and gave it back to him. A little dumbfounded by what had just happened, Link took a while to take the weapon, something which resulted in even more of those hateful words.

"Tired of playing the hero already?" asked the demon, in a provocative way.

In response, Link just grabbed the Skyward Sword, and without saying anything, got back into his fighting stance.

"Are you still willing to fight?" asked Ghirahim, looking a little surprised.

"I said I won't run..." replied the blonde, his voice sounding weaker than he wanted.

Ghirahim watched him for a long time, and then sighed impatiently.

"You had your chance to escape." he said.

"I know..."

"Come."

Saying this, he rose his hand as before, seeming ready to grab that sword once again. But now, Link knew what he was capable of, and acted more carefully.

The blue-eyed boy tried to be as unpredictable as possible, attacking only when he was sure that Ghirahim wouldn't be able to move fast enough to grab his sword. He managed to hit him twice, but at the third try, the demon grabbed the blade between his fingers again.

"You can't beat me, sky child..."

But this time, Link was prepared. With a sudden movement, he forced his sword up, and then pulled it. The blade slipped from those long fingers, and Link took the chance to attack. Ghirahim predicted that movement, and teleported, reappearing a little farther from the other. A slightly excited smile appeared on his pale face, and he slowly licked his white lips: for a human, that boy wasn't that useless. With a brief movement of his arm, he summoned that black sword, and pointed it at Link, who accidentally let his frustration arise on his face: he didn't know if he could beat an unarmed Ghirahim... What to say, then, to defeat him in a fight with blades?

"You asked for it, sky child..." said the demon, who seemed to be enjoying that situation "Now I will not stop, even if you beg for mercy."


	3. Defeat

A/N: Finally, the semester is over! Now I have time to write, sleep and play video games again... Life is good.

This was really difficult to translate at some parts, and I don't know anyone who speaks both Portuguese and English, and likes yaoi at the same time, to help me... If there are some really terrible mistakes, please, tell me.

Well, I won't bother you anymore... I'll talk more at the end of the chapter (yep, I love to talk). Hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Link fell on the floor, leaning on his knee. He was panting, and the several cuts on his body were hurting and bleeding. Ghirahim was too strong and agile, and it was only a matter of time until the smaller one was completely defeated.

"That's it, sky child?" asked the Demon Lord, sliding his tongue along the blade of the black sword he was wielding, proving a little of the scarlet blood of the blue-eyed boy, with a pleased expression "I promised not to kill you, but if you don't start fighting seriously, I can't guarantee you'll leave this place alive..."

Link didn't say anything. With great effort, he got back on his feet, staring fiercely at the other. Ghirahim let a low chuckle leave his throat, as he, once again, put himself in an offensive stance.

"If you wish so much to die, I'll just end this quickly" said the demon "I hate to go back on my word, but you gave me no other choice."

"_I can't lose..."_ Link said to himself, placing the wooden shield in front of him _"__I must protect her!"_

Ghirahim moved quickly against the smaller one, who tried to protect himself with his shield. The boy, however, wasn't as fast as the demon, who dealt a diagonal blow, that cut the younger one's chest through his clothes. Link's eyes widened, and he staggered backwards, having to make an unbearable effort to keep standing. A dark stain arose in the place where he was hit, slowly spreading across the green fabric of his tunic. A cold sensation ran through the blue eyed boy, and he clenched his teeth, trying to hold back a moan of pure pain. He couldn't tell if the wound was deep or not, but it made no difference at that moment: the pain itself was strong enough to leave him at an even greater disadvantage.

"This will be over soon." murmured Ghirahim.

And then, with a subtle movement, the demon disappeared.

"No... Not this again...!" Link looked back instinctively, and then, to the sides, trying to find his opponent before it was too late.

A single instant was what saved Link from his certain death: the exact moment when the demon appeared behind the boy, raising his dark sword above the younger one's head, Link noticed his presence and rolled to the side, in time to avoid that sharp blade, which stabbed violently the ground, resulting in small cracks on that surface.

"If you are able to sense my approach, you're not as bad as I thought, sky child." Ghirahim said, drawing his sword, pointing it against the smaller one once again "But I'm starting to get impatient..."

As before, Ghirahim moved swiftly against the blue eyed boy, who, this time, was able to defend himself with his shield. The light wood creaked and threatened to break, but was enough to stop that blow. However, a fragile shield like that one wouldn't survive much longer at that rate, and Link knew that.

The boy tried to attack Ghirahim on the left side of his body, but the pain in his recent wound prevented him of acting fast enough. The Demon Lord jumped back, easily dodging the blow, disappearing one more time among those diamond shaped things, reappearing on the left side of the younger one. Ghirahim brandished his blade toward Link's neck, but the boy blocked the attack with his own sword.

"You got lucky this time, sky child..." said the taller man amid a brief and discreet laugh "But if it wasn't for that sword, you wouldn't get that far."

Link didn't say anything. Actually, he didn't even hear those words: warm blood continued to flow from his recent wound, leaving red stains on his clothes, and dripping on that temple's floor. It looked like that wound was deeper than he had thought. His vision blurred for a moment, time enough for Ghirahim to disappear once more. The demon appeared behind the younger one, raising his blade above him.

Just when Link realized what was going to happen, Ghirahim lowered his sword in a quick movement, and the boy only had time to raise his shield in an attempt to parry that blow. That circular piece of wood broke almost instantly, and Link fell, his wounded chest hitting painfully the cold floor. The Skyward Sword slipped through his fingers, falling with a metallic noise beside him. Ghirahim approached slowly, delighted by seeing that beautiful face seized with fear.

"It's over, sky child." he said, raising his sword.

Link gritted his teeth. There was nothing he could do, he had been completely defeated.

Ghirahim's sword went down fast and violently, cutting the air with a chilling noise that made Link flinch and close his eyes, waiting for that cold blade to take away his life.

With a disturbing sound, the sword hit its target. A loud cry of pain left the boy's throat: the blade had pierced through his right hand, nailing it to the floor.

"As much as my desire is to end your petty existence, here and now, sky child, I promised earlier that I wouldn't kill you..." Ghirahim's soft voice echoed somewhere above Link "And a lord must always keep his word."

The demon smiled slightly, as if the situation amused him. Without any hurry, he bent down next to the smaller one, and with a snap of his fingers, made the sword disappear. He observed that wound for some time, and then shifted his gaze to the younger one's face, who had his eyes wide with shock, and trembled violently as he tried to breath, with some difficulty. Ghirahim chuckled, and then held the boy's bloody hand with his own, softly moving his finger by that wound, making Link groan painfully.

"This is the hand you used to hold your sword, right?" questioned the one with dark eyes, even though he knew the answer "It's a shame, but I think you can't fight anymore, 'hero'."

Link kept silent, just trying to pull his hand away from the Demon Lord, who without any effort, brought it close to his face, touching the palm with his pale lips. Then, he slid his tongue across the blood covered wound, and as a result, a few tears left the boy's eyes.

"What a shame..." Ghirahim forced a tone full of disappointment "I thought you would be a good distraction, child, but it was only slightly less boring than the others of your kind... Not that it matters of course: the only thing that matters now is girl."

Saying this, the demon finally released the other, standing once again.

"I hope you had fun, sky child. Now go and play somewhere else... Unless you prefer to stay here, bleeding to your death. Really, it makes no difference to me."

Ghirahim turned his back to the boy, starting to slowly move away from him, going towards that golden door, behind which the girl was waiting. There was some sort of barrier there, which prevented him from teleporting to the other side, but he was a Demon Lord, so it shouldn't be impossible for him to find a way to go through that little hindrance. Carefully, he placed his hand on that golden surface, examining it, trying to find any possible gap that would allow his advance.

The Demon Lord was so focused on that task, that he took a while to notice what was happening behind his back: he only realized something was wrong when he heard the loud sound of footsteps coming towards him. He looked back just in time to see that blade cutting superficially the side of his body. Immediately, Ghirahim teleported to the opposite side of the room, finally realizing that, in a desperate attempt to stop his advance, Link had gotten up and rushed toward him, wielding the sword in his left hand. Completely unable to stop in time, the boy stumbled lightly at the door, taking the opportunity to briefly use it as a support, while recovering his breath.

"What do you think you're doing, sky child?" asked Ghirahim, in a serious tone, while using his power to heal that slight injury "Don't you think I already lost too much of my time here, playing with you?"

Link turned to face the other, his back against that golden door, breathing in an accelerated manner, squeezing the handle of the sword against his hand.

And then, to the demon's surprise, the boy laughed: he had been defeated, was wounded, exhausted and at a clear disadvantage, moreover, would probably die if he continued to fight against the demon...

But why should he care about such trivial things?

"Yeah... I don't mind 'playing' here with you until I bleed to my death..." he said, his laugh giving place to a deadly expression, while he muttered through gritted teeth "But no matter what happens, I won't let you hurt her!"

The Demon Lord kept his dark eyes fixed on the boy's blue eyes: despite all the exhaustion his body was certainly feeling, those eyes held a mesmerizing and lethal glare, just like living flames, as if those were the eyes of a wild creature without any fear on their mind, just a fierce instinct that drove him to fight until the last of his strength was extinguished. A faint smile arose in Ghirahim's pale face: he had never seen such eyes before, neither in a human, nor in a demon, or in any other living creature. Only that boy could look at him that way, specially after everything that happened just a few minutes before.

Ghirahim slid his tongue over his pale lips: he was loving those eyes.

"Don't disappoint me again, sky child." asked the Demon Lord, taking a step toward the other.

Instead of answering, Link took a deep breath, and then advanced against the demon. Ghirahim tried to grab the boy's sword, just like he did in the beginning of their confront, thinking it would be easier now that the boy was using his left hand.

Link attacked, his sword pointing to the demon's left side. Ghirahim knew it was only a distraction: at the last moment, he would attack from the right, thus avoiding having his sword blocked.

And that's exactly what happened...

However, even knowing that the blow would come from the right, Ghirahim wasn't fast enough to avoid it. And that didn't happen just once, Link hit him once, twice... Six times in a row, without Ghirahim being able to stop him.

Something was wrong: after all, the boy was more agile than before, and his attacks were strong and accurate. Without realizing, the demon had made a huge mistake by hurting the boy's right hand: he was much more skilled with his left one.

"You're being more of a nuisance than I had anticipated, sky child." said the taller one, teleporting to a place out of the boy's reach "It seems that I don't need to be 'gentle' with you anymore."

Ghirahim lifted his arm, ready to summon his black sword again. But, for some reason, he didn't. Link watched, confused, wondering if that was also part of the demon's plan or not.

"I'm afraid I spent too much time in here..." he said, turning his gaze to the golden door, which was just a few meters away from where they were "The girl's presence have completely disappeared from this place, which means there is no more reason for me to be here."

Almost unconsciously, Link lowered his sword: he didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed that Zelda wasn't there anymore. On the bright side, she would be safer away from Ghirahim, but at the same time, now it was almost impossible for Link to know when and where he would find her again.

"I believe this is where we part, sky child." Ghirahim said, waking the boy from his thoughts "I would tell you not to get in my way, but it certainly wouldn't make any difference..."

The demon approached Link, who rose his sword again. But, before he could even think of attacking the demon, Ghirahim disappeared, reappearing behind him, touching the boy's face with his hand, stroking it softly while whispering in his ear:

"So instead of 'goodbye', it seem more appropriate to say 'see you soon', sky child."

Ghirahim's lips lightly touched Link's face. The boy turned quickly toward the other, but all he saw were those diamond shapes: Ghirahim was gone, probably to search for Zelda, and Link should do the same.

Although he didn't have any clue about where she had gone to, this time.

Suddenly, the boy's knees gave way, and he leaned on the Skyward Sword not to fall forward, on the floor. Now that the battle was finally over, the pain and the exhaustion had returned, stronger and worse than before.

"_Master."_ Fi's almost robotic voice echoed in Link's mind, just before that blue girl materialized in front of him _"__I have an important information: your wounds have reached a critical level."_

"Oh really, Fi?" said the boy, with a sarcastic and slightly angry tone. He wasn't feeling too patient to deal with the obvious information given by that humanoid spirit that inhabited his sword "I didn't notice it."

"_I figured there was a 6% chance you hadn't noticed, due to the large amount of adrenaline in you body, resulting from the recent battle."_

Realizing that the girl had really believed in his words, Link felt a little bad about having talked so rudely to her, even if the sword itself didn't seem to notice such thing.

"I recommend you to rest as soon as possible to recover." completed the sword.

"Thanks, Fi..." Link replied, this time in a more gentle tone: it wasn't her fault he failed "I'll do that."

"_Master."_ said the blue girl again _"__I recommend that we proceed to the next area of the temple, where you can find new information that will help us discover the whereabouts of Zelda."_

"Yes... You're right."

With some difficulty, Link stood up, turning to that golden door. With his approach, the door's notches glowed in a green-bluish color, and the moment Link touched them lightly with his fingers, the door disappeared, revealing a long staircase.

"Great... Just everything I wanted the most right now..." the boy sighed in dismay, before starting to slowly climb the steps.

At the top of the stairs, there was a short corridor, surrounded by water on both sides, and with white columns adorning its edges. Down the the corridor, to Link's despair, another ladder awaited, but at least it was much smaller than the previous one. Once he was at the top, the boy was finally able to see clearly the place where he was: a spring, surrounded by few trees and flowers, with small waterfalls that spread water through all that area. Yes, there was water all over the place, with the exception of three round platforms in the center of the spring, and some kind of altar, on which was possible to see a statue of the Goddess, Hylia. It was obvious that was where Link should be going next.

The only problem would be going through those platforms on the water, which were slightly apart from each other.

Carefully, Link tried to jump from the place he was to the first platform. No problem, just some pain. He tried to jump to the second one, but the momentum wasn't enough, and he ended up falling awkwardly at the spring, which resulted in some internal swearing, accompanied by some more, said aloud. Luckily, the spring was quite shallow, so it wasn't so hard to climb his way back to the first platform, where he laid back, trying to dry his face with the back of his left hand. Well, at least Zelda wasn't there to see that ridiculous scene... Could be worse, right?

No... It would be way better if she was there, laughing at him and his clumsiness, and not somewhere else...

Somewhere far from him... Somewhere unknown... Somewhere he couldn't see her face nor hear her voice...

"_Master, I recommend you investigate this place to find new information about Zelda's whereabouts."_ Fi said, again.

"I know, Fi... I know." Link replied, sighing briefly "Just give me a few minutes, okay?"

"_Understood, master."_

Lying that way, Link stared at the sky, and soon remembered Skyloft. And then, he remembered his room at the Academy, and his bed. He told himself that, when he found Zelda and returned with her to Skyloft, he would sleep for a whole week... No, on second thought, he would sleep for a month. And he would wake up only to devour some of those delicious pumpkin pies... He almost could smell them... Just wanted to sleep a bit more before tasting them... Only for ten minutes...

Link only realized he had dozed off when a strange tingling in his chest woke him up. Opening his eyes, he saw a strange and small sphere of light close to his wound.

"What...?"

He lifted his body quickly, and it only helped him to realize that he was surrounded by those strange... Shiny things.

Paying more attention, it was possible to see that they weren't exactly spheres of light, as Link initially tought, but tiny humanoid creatures, with pinkish skin and glistening wings, who now stared at the boy with their round little eyes, as if surprised by his reaction.

"What the...? What are you?" Link asked, more to himself than to the creatures.

"_Fairies"_ Fi replied promptly, startling her master a little _"__Peaceful creatures who inhabit the surface. They have healing powers, and generally use it to help those with whom they sympathize."_

"Fairies?" Link frowned slightly. He had heard stories about fairies when he was younger, but didn't remember too much of them, and didn't even know about such "healing power".

Now that he thought about it, the wound on his chest didn't seem to hurt as much as before. Upon examining it, Link realized that it already looked partially healed...

Had it been their doing?

The little creatures were still watching him, seeming apprehensive, so Link offered them a friendly smile.

"You healed me, didn't you?" asked him, in a gentle tone "Thank you."

The fairies looked at each other, and then also returned the boy's smile. Then, they all flew towards him, landing on his many wounds, healing them completely. When they were finished, the little creatures gave a brief chuckle to Link, and departed hastily.

"That was unexpected..." Link muttered to himself, watching those little things as they vanished from sight. Although he still didn't like the surface that much, he had to admit it was hard not to become attached to some of its strange, but friendly inhabitants.

Despite being tired, Link felt much better now that he had been healed. He jumped from a platform to another without any problem, stopping before the altar, recognizing the symbol of the Goddess on it, which was identical to the one inside the statue in Skyloft. Knowing what he should do next, the boy raised his sword toward the heavens, and then lowered it quickly. An energy beam hit that symbol, which shone just like the blade of Link's sword. Shortly thereafter, Fi materialized in front of him.

"_Master, I have a message written in the language of the ancient Gods. Allow me to translate it for you."_

-x-

Link was back in Skyloft. According to the message translated by Fi, Zelda should, for some reason, purify her body in two sacred springs, the first of them being the one in Skyview, where he had been earlier. The second one, The Earth Spring, was located in a place called "Eldin", that could be found just bellow the second opening that appeared in the cloud barrier.

Link wanted to go to that place as soon as possible, but he knew that he needed to rest before doing so. After all, what good would come from finding Zelda, but being too weak to protect her?

It was frustrating, yes... But he was still human.

Once being inside his room, the boy left his sword beside the bed, remembering that, before leaving the next morning, he should buy a new shield, and preferably, one made of more resistant material than wood. He removed his boots and his clothes, until he was only in his underwear. He wasn't feeling patient enough to put some clothes, so he decided to sleep like that. The bath could also wait until morning: he was too much sleepy, and drown in the bathtub wasn't among the things he wanted the most on his imaginary wishing list. Without thinking of anything else, Link jumped on the bed, wrapping the blanket around himself, and didn't take too long until he was completely and deeply asleep.

-x-

Link woke up in the middle of the night, feeling something touch his face lightly. Was he dreaming? Yeah... That should be it: he was dreaming... Probably with the fairies he saw earlier... They were cute, just like the Kikwis...

But... No, it couldn't be a fairy: that touch was too "human".

The boy opened his eyes, only enough so he could see the room around him: it was dark, so morning hadn't come yet. He blinked a few times, and so, was able to distinguish a person's figure beside him.

"Zelda...?"

Upon hearing that name, the figure laughed, as if amused. Link's eyes widened when he recognized that voice: there was no doubt, that person wasn't his childhood friend.

"Had pleasant dreams, Skychild?" Ghirahim asked, with a crooked smile on his pale face.

* * *

A/N: Hello, again. Well, first of all: why do I write big chapters? Seriously, they take too long to translate... Anyway, thanks for reading and specially for the reviews! Well, talking about reviews, I really like to answer them, so here I go:

FrostStick: as always, your reviews are the best thing in the world... Haha, it's funny to see that more people imagine Link like I do. Omg, thank you again! I promise I'll try not to make Ghirahim too much of a bastard, but... Well, you know him... He can be kinda nice, but in his own "special way". Ah~, my poor cute Link...

zeldafan45: it's good to know you think so... I was kinda insecure when I started to write this, but I'm happy to know you're liking it!

Well, that's it. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and see you in the next one.


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